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Gospel Shaped Governance

Written by Caroline Eade on Thursday 1st February 2018

How do you run a church or Christian charity well for the glory of God? Caroline Eade says if we’re going to be serious about our legal responsibilities there’s a conference coming up we should know about.

Church leaders and charity trustees are bombarded with information about their legal and financial responsibilities.

It can be difficult to get a handle on the most recent developments. Often it feels like you just begin to catch up, only to find there is another bit of legislation or regulatory guidance you’ve got to get used to.

Well, there’s a day conference coming up on Tuesday 20 February which covers all the key legal and governance issues that Christian charities – including churches – are likely to face. It’s being hosted by the Evangelical Alliance in London and will bring together specialists in a range of disciplines.

It means there will be seminars on topics like equality legislation, property development, safeguarding, data protection, governance and financial planning.

Good Governance

I’ll be leading a seminar too called Gospel Shaped Governance. Simply put, that means making sure the oversight of your church or charity is carried out effectively, to maximise the impact of what you do. So often, problems at the leadership level of a church or charity end up hindering its gospel witness, either in terms of wasted resources or reputational damage.

I’ll be helping you think about how to get the governance model on the right footing at the outset, and how to make sure the structure you adopt remains fit for purpose as your charity goes through change or growth.

The day conference is aimed at all sizes and types of Christian organisations, and the cost per delegate is £48.

Other seminar leaders include Mark Jones, employment partner at MW Solicitors, and Stephen Matthews, head of accountancy at Stewardship. John Kirby, the founder of Christians Against Poverty will be one of the keynote speakers, alongside Fiona Bruce MP and Paul Weller, author of Faith, Hope and Charity.

Caroline Eade - Head of Charities (Practical Services)

Caroline has specialised in charity law for more than ten years, and regularly acts for churches and other Christian organisations on governance and constitutional issues. She is a member of Eden Baptist Church in Cambridge and serves as a deacon. She is also a trustee of the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship.